BLUE PARKED IN front of the Paintery, a restaurant that doubled as an art house, occasionally hosting comedians and musicians in addition to offering painting lessons while customers dined. The building was painted graffiti style, with colorful flowers paired with dark, haunting images of animals and greenery that looked like it belonged in a tropical rainforest, making the building feel alive.
“I never would have pegged you for a Paintery guy. What a fun surprise,” Lizzie said. “I’ve never been here.”
“Neither have I, but I figured that since this wasn’t supposed to be a date, we’d better go someplace that felt platonic.” Blue held the door open, and as she passed through, his hand found hers again.
Sometime between Blue telling her she could trust him and their last kiss, Lizzie had gone from needing to keep distance between them to wanting to be closer and wanting to enjoy the evening as a real date. Being with Blue, kissing him, opening up to him, had reminded her what it was like to feel, to allow herself to get close to someone. They’d crossed the platonic line into sensual and scintillating territory, and Lizzie felt herself wanting to explore all of it, which scared her and excited her at once.
She’d kept such thick walls around herself for the past few years that even accepting this evening as a date was a huge deal. And, as her mind skipped off track and reminded her that her webcast began in half an hour, she reminded herself that letting down those walls was also a huge risk.
They followed the hostess past a number of round tables with easels set up on them to a booth in the back, also sporting two easels and paints facing either side of the booth.
Blue turned an assessing gaze to the table. “Well, this isn’t right, is it?” He moved the easels so they were beside each other, then shifted the paints and paintbrushes to one side of the table and scooted the whole thing away from the edge, making room for them to eat and paint sitting side by side.
“Much better.” He motioned to the bench. “After you.”
“That doesn’t look very platonic to me,” she teased.
“You gave me the okay to call this a date, so I’m taking full advantage of wooing you until you take it back.” He slid into the seat beside her and leaned in close. “And by the time tonight is over, you won’t ever want to take it back.”
“You’re pretty confident.” As well he should be. Blue wasn’t just more handsome than any man alive, but he was also a gentleman and probably the world’s best kisser.
He stretched an arm over her shoulder, opened a menu, and moved it in front of her so they could both look it over. She loved that, too.
They ordered drinks and decided to share an entrée—another bonus point for Blue. Lizzie loved sharing meals. Everything tasted better when it belonged to someone else. A few minutes later the waiter brought their drinks and took their dinner order.
Blue held up his glass in a toast. “To our first date.”
They clinked glasses, and Lizzie sipped her drink, taking a moment to admire the incredibly sexy, confident man beside her. She’d worked so hard to fight her attraction to him that she’d succeeded in seeing him as Blue Ryder, friend. She’d put him securely in that category with a continuous mantra of all the reasons why they couldn’t be more, a list that started with their friendship and ended with the Naked Baker. Now, as she looked at him, all she could think about was how many kisses she’d missed over the past year, how many chances to hold his hand, to see that smile when it was meant just for her—and to get to know him even better.
“So, how does this work?” she asked, eyeing the paints.
“It’s a pretty hard concept. We pick up the brushes”—he handed her a paintbrush—“and then we paint.”
“It’s good to see that being on a date didn’t dampen your ability to be a smart-ass.” She smiled with the tease. “I’m a truly sucky painter.”
“I somehow doubt you’re a truly sucky anything.” He leaned in and kissed her, and she closed her eyes, willing him to kiss her longer.
She’d known it would be like this, that it would feel right, and good, and incredibly natural to fall under Blue’s spell. Just another reason she’d fought going out with him for so long. She’d known she’d never have a chance of resisting him once that door was opened. His lips lingered on hers, drawing out the kiss, so that by the time he pulled away, she was breathless for more.
He ran his fingertips through her hair and touched his forehead to hers. “I really like kissing you.”
Afraid if she tried to respond she’d say something like, Then don’t stop, she opted for silence instead.